No Place to StayWhile many of the scars of Ebola are obvious—10,000 people dead in West Africa, schools disrupted, farming interrupted, unemployment—other scars, beneath the surface, need urgent attention.... Show More + That is why the Liberian Ministry of Health, along with partners, is providing counseling and support for Lina and other Ebola survivors.After being declared Ebola-free, survivors try to return to their homes. But the process of cleansing the house of Ebola involves destroying almost everything inside. These survivors end up sleeping on the floor or seeking another place to stay—while battling Ebola’s after effects, including post-Ebola syndrome, pain, numbness and visual problems, among others.Henry Tony was released from an ETU on November 4. He was not welcomed back to his community to live or work. He is not one of the nearly 20 percent of Liberians who had stopped working since the Ebola crisis and have returned to work.“People no longer associate with us,” said Henry, a 31 Show Less -

President Kim showed his solidarity with those countries deeply impacted by the Ebola epidemic. He gave his condolences, stating “The world was woefully unprepared for this epidemic.” He noted that, even... Show More + though the outbreak and number of cases has decreased significantly, “We must keep focus until we get to zero cases.” President Kim placed emphasis on building robust health systems, as it is a multiple-win approach; “We cannot simply focus on disease surveillance. Effective health care has to follow.” Finally, President Kim proposed a Pandemic Emergency Facility between donors and development partners to provide a “source of funding to be dispersed immediately. Not in 8 months, but 8 hours.” He was optimistic that the fight against epidemics such as Ebola can improve health systems, economic prospects, and multilateral cooperation in mobilizing public and private funds to “come up with a response equal to the challenge.”InterventionThe members of parliament all gave stunning testimony Show Less -

Some 18,000 Beneficiaries to Receive Mental Health and Psychosocial Support to Alleviate Consequences of EpidemicMONROVIA, February 25, 2015 – The Liberian Government and the World Bank Group in partnership... Show More + with the Government of Japan, today launched a new $3 million project to address the psychological effects of Liberia’s Ebola crisis and to promote psychosocial health in the country. The ceremony was held at the World Bank Liberia Office.The project, Supporting Psychosocial Health and Resilience in Liberia, is funded by Japan through the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF), a trust fund administered by the World Bank. The Carter Center will implement this three-year project, which is expected to reach approximately 18,000 beneficiaries in Montserrado (hosting Monrovia) and Margibi counties.World Bank Liberia Country Manager Inguna Dobraja said: “the Psychosocial Health and Resilience project will respond to the most urgent psychosocial and mental health needs of the Ebola crisi Show Less -

Long-term welfare remains a concern as country moves toward economic recoveryWASHINGTON, February 24, 2015— Nearly 20 percent of the Liberians who had stopped working since the Ebola crisis have returned... Show More + to work in the last month, according to the World Bank Group’s most recent round of cell-phone surveys, signaling both important progress and the magnitude of the challenge ahead.This improvement, an encouraging sign of a shift toward economic normalization, was mainly driven by a large increase in wage work in urban areas. A substantial percentage of those working pre-crisis remain out of work, however; those in self-employment continue to be the hardest hit by the Ebola crisis, pointing to a lack of working capital and a lack of customers as the main barriers to their operation. As the pressing health crisis in Liberia slows, it will be important to identify and support those who are most vulnerable to a sluggish economy and the increasing number of households whose Show Less -

Record 10,500 tons of seed to be delivered for April planting seasonWASHINGTON, February 12, 2015—In a concerted push to revive agriculture and avert hunger in Ebola-hit countries, the World Bank Group... Show More + has mobilized up to $15 million in emergency financing to provide a record 10,500 tons of maize and rice seed to over 200,000 farmers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in time for the April planting season. More than one million people could go hungry unless they have reliable access to food and emergency measures are taken immediately to safeguard crop and livestock production.A World Bank Group report shows that the Ebola crisis has taken a heavy toll on the economies in all three countries, and the agriculture and food sectors have been particularly hard hit. The funds, in the form of grants financed by the International Development Association (IDA) and the Ebola Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund will also be used to purchase fertilizer required to multiply foundation se Show Less -

One of the workshop attendees, Venance Bahati, Tax Audit and Analysis Manager at the Tanzanian Minerals Audit Agency said that “the course was very relevant to the Tanzania situation, especially on the... Show More + issues of negotiation preparation skills and issues such as community aspects and fiscal items.”Technical training at the workshops focused on the contract negotiations process (including intergovernmental coordination, negotiations techniques) and the general terms and conditions related to mineral development agreements (including fiscal instruments, community development, and local content). Daye Kaba, Partner at Fasken Martineau law firm and an international expert in mining law and contract negotiations, presented at the workshop and emphasized that “building of capacity within governments not only enables countries to negotiate better agreements and have a better grasp of the implications of the agreements they enter into, but is also welcomed by mining companies as it facilit Show Less -

WASHINGTON, January 29, 2015—The World Bank Group today announced the debarment of GKW Consult GmbH, following the company’s acknowledgment and cooperation with the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency’s... Show More + (INT) investigation of misconduct in an Urban Sanitation project in Liberia. Under the Negotiated Resolution Agreement (NRA), the company did not contest the World Bank’s evidence that one of its local employees accepted payments for himself to approve falsified documents for contractors under the World Bank-financed Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project (“EMUS”) in Liberia.Under the terms of the NRA, GKW Consult GmbH will be debarred for a period of 10 months and will also make a restitution payment of $325,000 in support of Liberia’s Ebola response efforts.“The outcome of the case reflects the World Bank’s strong commitment to protecting the integrity of development projects at every phase of its implementation as part of our efforts to battling poverty and disease,” said Leo Show Less -

Kim outlines vision for private, public sectors to work together to lessen riskWASHINGTON, January 27, 2015— Saying the world was “dangerously unprepared” for future pandemics, World Bank Group President... Show More + Jim Yong Kim today laid out a vision in which insurance companies, governments, multi-lateral organizations, corporations and international donors worked together to build a system that would help all countries prepare for potentially catastrophic health disasters.“The Ebola outbreak has been devastating in terms of lives lost and the loss of economic growth in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,” Kim told an audience at Georgetown University. “We need to make sure that we get to zero cases in this Ebola outbreak. At the same time, we need to prepare for future pandemics that could become far more deadly and infectious than what we have seen so far with Ebola. We must learn the lessons from the Ebola outbreak because there is no doubt we will be faced with other pandemics in the years to Show Less -

Africa-wide impact in 2015The Bank Group expects sub-Saharan Africa to grow at 4.6 percent in 2015, down from a 5.0 percent forecast in June 2014. Projections have been lowered because of global events,... Show More + including the West African Ebola epidemic as well as the net effect of winners and losers from a steep fall in the global prices of oil and other commodities. Key risks to this projected growth include a renewed spread of Ebola, violent insurgencies, further reductions in commodity prices, and volatile global financial conditions.Much of the economic impact of Ebola beyond the epicenter of directly affected West African countries is based on fear, as was the case during the SARS outbreak in East Asia a decade ago. This fear – as well as the associated aversion behavior – relates to concerns that the epidemic cannot be contained (heightened by several cases in the USA and the EU) and in some cases to misperceptions about African geography (some of the economically affected countries have Show Less -

Latest surveys point to declines in employment, food insecurity, and long-term welfare concernsWASHINGTON, January 12, 2015—The socio-economic impacts of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone are far-reaching... Show More + and persistent, according to two new World Bank Group reports. Both countries continue to experience job losses, despite their differing health outlooks. These impacts have not been limited to the areas where infections have been the highest, which points to economy-wide slowdowns. As a result, many households have been forced to take short-term actions to cope, which can have substantial long-term effects on welfare.“The Ebola virus itself must be eradicated- this is the number one priority,” said Ana Revenga, Senior Director for Poverty at the World Bank Group. “But its socio-economic side effects put the current and future prosperity of households in Liberia and Sierra Leone at high risk. We must pay careful attention to those who are most vulnerable to both health and economic sho Show Less -

PRESIDENT KOROMA: Welcome, sir.DR. KIM: Thank you very much for the very, very kind introduction.First, I'm here mostly to observe and to congratulate the government of Sierra Leone and President... Show More + Koroma for his leadership and Sierra Leone's leadership in their response to Ebola. President Koroma told me today that he has been walking the neighborhoods and going directly to the field to change the way people think about it and behave in the face of this epidemic.Today in our meeting we talked about the importance of finishing the job on Ebola, on getting to zero cases and, at the same time, not waiting to finish, that you need to work on economic recovery. The World Bank Group together with partners, especially the United Kingdom, is committed to support Sierra Leone's authorities in their emergency response but as well, the longer-term economic recovery. We're accelerating our support to Sierra Leone, and we plan to deliver a comprehensive economic recover Show Less -

First, I’d like to give my condolences to the victims of the Ebola epidemic. We’re focused so much on stopping this outbreak but it’s important to acknowledge the biggest tragedy – the cost of so many... Show More + lives. Turning to the response, I would like to praise the Guinea government and the leadership of President Alpha Conde in handling the emergency response to Ebola. But the fight against the epidemic is far from being over. The virus is expanding in terms of both geography and case numbers – the new spread from Guinea into Mali highlights the escalating risk to regional security, stability and economic growth. I encouraged President Conde to continue working with Guinea’s neighbors to strengthen the regional response and promote greater regional integration.In our meeting today, we discussed the importance of finishing the job on Ebola, getting to zero cases, and beginning to work on economic recovery. The World Bank Group, together with other partners, is committed to support the G Show Less -

PRESIDENT JOHNSON SIRLEAF: We have had from you and the team, the kind of support that has been given us, made a lot of progress on our Mission 2030 and our agenda for transformation.Your support... Show More + cross-sectors many sectors, energy, roads, agriculture, health, education. In all of those areas we have made progress because of your support and that of other partners.Recently, with us facing Ebola, you have really been exceptional in your support. Not only have you brought to us your professional knowledge of the health sector and what you've done in that area and organized your colleagues in that sector to become partners with us. Through the Bank, you have provided support to enable us to fight this disease, and I daresay the progress we've made comes from that very quick support, including budgetary support, which is something that we value very much and we don't get too much of. So, I just want to thank you for that--thank you as we continue to work with yo Show Less -

I would like to congratulate the Liberian Government for their leadership in handling the emergency response to Ebola. I encourage President Johnson Sirleaf to continue working with Liberia's neighbors... Show More + to strengthen the regional response and promote greater regional integration.In our meeting today, we discussed the importance of finishing the job on Ebola and beginning to work on economic recovery. The World Bank Group is committed to help the Liberian authorities in the coming 18 months in the following five areas:First, the World Bank Group - which has already provided $200 million dollars to Liberia for the Ebola crisis - will continue to support President Johnson Sirleaf's ambitious plan to get to zero cases as soon as possible. This involves making sure that every community is protected from Ebola and that all Liberians have access to the health care they deserve.But we don't need to wait till we get to zero to start working on the economic recovery, so our Show Less -

WASHINGTON, December 2, 2014 – The Ebola epidemic continues to cripple the economies of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and is projected to result in negative or contracting growth in these countries... Show More + next year as they work to eradicate the virus, according to an Ebola Economic Impact Update released today by the World Bank Group. The report comes as World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim begins a two-day visit to West Africa to assess the epidemic’s impact and discuss with governments and international agencies what steps need to be taken to reach the goal of zero cases as soon as possible.This report updates the World Bank Group’s October 8 analysis of the economic effects of the Ebola crisis on the three hardest-hit countries. GDP growth estimates for 2014 have been revised sharply downward since pre-crisis estimates to 2.2 percent for Liberia (versus 5.9 percent pre-crisis and 2.5 percent in October); and 4.0 percent for Sierra Leone (versus 11.3 percent pre-crisis and 8.0 perce Show Less -

MONROVIA, December 1, 2014 - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim arrives in Liberia on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 to further strengthen the Bank’s continuing response to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).... Show More + Dr. Kim will meet President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and senior officials of the Liberian Government.While in Liberia, the World Bank Group President will reassure the Government and people of Liberia of the Bank’s commitment to assist Liberia achieve zero Ebola Virus transmission. Dr. Kim will visit the Ebola Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Monrovia and meet with the Incident Management System representatives, donor partners involved in the Ebola response in Liberia, health workers, EVD survivors, contact tracers and burial team members. He will also hold a press conference on December 2, at 11:45 am, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which media is invited.The WBG is mobilizing nearly $1 billion in financing for the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis. A total o Show Less -

Good afternoon. I’m pleased that we had the opportunity today to bring the leaders of the United Nations system together, to assess the status of the global response to the Ebola epidemic, and to... Show More + work toward a unified approach on the ground in West Africa.This is a pivotal moment in the world’s worst ever Ebola epidemic. There’s clear evidence of areas of progress, particularly in Liberia, where new cases have declined significantly. International support is making a difference. But there’s also evidence that is very worrisome, such as the increase in infections in Sierra Leone and the spreading of the outbreak to Mali.And our goal will be extraordinarily difficult: We must get to zero cases. Ebola is not a disease where you can leave a few cases and say you’ve done enough; look what happened in the early days of this epidemic, when it fell in Guinea and then exploded into Liberia and Sierra Leone.A key element in getting to zero cases will be to invest much more in e Show Less -

Negative Economic Impacts of Virus Seen Throughout the Country, with Serious Consequences for the Poor and VulnerableWASHINGTON, November 19, 2014— Ebola has substantially impacted all sectors of employment... Show More + in the Liberian economy, in both affected and non-affected counties, according to the most recent round of mobile phone surveys conducted by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Liberian Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services and the Gallup Organization. In all, nearly half of those working in Liberia when the Ebola outbreak began are no longer working as of early November 2014.“Even those living in the most remote communities in Liberia, where Ebola has not been detected, are suffering the economic side effects of this terrible disease,” said Ana Revenga, Senior Director of the Poverty Global Practice at the World Bank Group. “Relief efforts must focus not only on those directly affected by the virus, but also on those in the poorest communities for whom marke Show Less -

In an effort to measure the economic impact of Ebola on Liberian households, the World Bank, with the Liberian Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services and the Gallup Organization, has conducted... Show More + two rounds of mobile-phone surveys, in October and November 2014. Based on these results, it is clear that Ebola has substantially impacted the Liberian economy across all sectors of employment, in both affected and non-affected counties. In all, nearly half of the working population of Liberia is no longer working since the crisis began.Read the full report and learn more here. Show Less -

WASHINGTON, November 18, 2014—The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$285 million grant to finance Ebola-containment efforts underway in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,... Show More + as well as to help communities in the three countries cope with the socioeconomic impact of the crisis and rebuild and strengthen essential health services. The grant is part of the nearly US$1 billion previously announced by the World Bank Group for the countries hardest hit by the Ebola crisis.The grant provides additional financing to the Ebola Emergency Response Project approved by the WBG’s Board on September 16, 2014, including US$72 million for Guinea, US$115 million for Liberia and US$98 million for Sierra Leone, the three countries most-affected by Ebola.Today’s announcement brings the total financing approved so far from the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA)* Crisis Response Window (CRW) for the Ebola response to US$390 million. The CRW is de Show Less -